Bride of the Phoenix
by Lady Harlequin
Summary: CHAP 2 UP Ancient legends whisper of young mortal women who could become immortal - brides fit for the gods. But a god is a bitter rival for a mortal... Who would dare challenge a god for a woman's love?
1. Prologue: Someone New to Love

Bride of the Phoenix 

By: Lady Harlequin

DISCLAIMER: Fushigi Yuugi is NOT mine, and never will be. I'm just borrowing the characters for a couple minutes, maybe…or some hours…make that days…weeks…years. ANYWAY, the characters that I borrowed will go back to their respective owners when I'm done. Any and all original characters are MINE, and you have no right to use them without MY permission. Oh yeah, and I have put in here a part of the song "On My Own" from the musical "Les Miserables", sung by Lea Salonga. Once again, I do not own "Les Miserables" or the song "On My Own"; they are the properties of their owners.

RATING: I will rate this with a PG-13 or an R because of Tasuki's language and implications of sexual activity, and later on, (if I feel like doing it) rape. So if excessive swearing and/or sexual innuendoes disturb you, then don't read this. You have been warned.

EMAIL: ladyharley2002@hotmail.com

              ladyharlequin@ilovechocolate.com

NOTE: This fanfic is partially based on truth. A few of the characters here are real people, and Riana's school actually exists. Whatever may happen to them in this fanfic, however, are NOT real, but the products of my hyperactive imagination (though I wish my school would be able to acquire the Book of the Four Gods for the Reference Section ^_^). And now, on with the fic!

DATELINE: This is an old, OLD fic I wrote during the height of my FY mania, so it might not come off as good as some of my more recent works. Still, rather than let it rot here in my hard drive, I decided to post it. Just…don't compare it to my recent works, all right?

Prologue: Someone New to Love… 

She gazed at the man as he awoke from his long slumber. Well, "long" was an understatement. He had been out for five whole days.

He groaned, and uttered something that she did not understand. Thinking that he was in pain, she approached the bed where he lay. "Shhh," she whispered soothingly. "It's alright. You are safe now."

But he was still restless, his sky-blue hair wet with sweat. "Hiko…Kouran…no…"

She lightly brushed her hand over his forehead, sweeping away his bangs. "Calm down. You are safe with me. No one can harm you while you are here."

He settled down at her words, and opened one eye, for the other was scarred closed. She waited patiently as he collected his wits and his thoughts so as to speak with her.

But she had not anticipated his suddenly sitting up from bed. Startled, she moved back so as to put some distance between the two of them.

He eyed her suspiciously as he asked. "Who are you?"

*      *      *

He waited, watching warily as the woman he had been talking to smiled at him and said something to him in a language he could not understand.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't understand what you are saying."

The woman gazed at him thoughtfully for a moment, and then she got up and walked over to him. She reached out, and lightly touched his ears with her delicate fingers.

At first, he felt apprehensive about what she was doing, but then, he heard a mighty WHOOSH, and when the woman removed her hands, he heard her ask, "Can you understand me now?"

"What did you just do to me?!" he demanded.

The woman blinked, surprised by his outburst. "I merely cast a spell that allows you to understand whatever I say to you." She turned pale all of a sudden. "Have I done something wrong?"

He felt his rage die away at the frightened tone of her voice. _I have scared her._ "Forgive me if I have frightened you. I did not intend to do so."

"It is alright. I am used to it by now." Her voice was soft and gentle, a warm caress to his bleeding soul. She approached him again, her footsteps almost inaudible. "What may I call you, sir?"

"Hjoujin. Hjoujin Ri." Hjoujin glanced at his hostess. "May I know your name?"

"Maria." A beautiful smile lit up her face, and for the briefest of moments, Hjoujin swore it was Kouran who smiled back at him.

Her giggles brought him back to reality. "Why are you laughing?"

"Because you looked so funny just a moment ago. You resembled a confused fox." Maria's laughter reminded him of the merry tinkling of bells and of a stream rushing over rocks in a forest.

But another question weighed heavy in his mind. "Maria, where am I?"

Maria's smile faded from her face, and Hjoujin could not help but notice that she looked beautiful whether she smiled or frowned. "I shall answer all of your questions tomorrow. It is very late already. And besides, you are still weak. You need your rest."

Hjoujin shook his head. "No, I wish to know now."

"You are in my home. We are in one of the vast forests that cover the slopes of Mount Banahaw." As she spoke, Maria stood up, and brought over a small bowl and a cup. "Here. You must be hungry. If you want to get well soon, you must eat."

Hjoujin took the bowl and cup, and he once again posed a few more questions. "Do you live alone here? Why? And how did you find me?"

Maria smiled at him as he ate what she had given him, her dark brown eyes glimmering in the soft lamplight. "Getting ever more inquisitive, are we? I found you when I was drawing water from the spring. I saw this bright flash of light from the opposite side, and I decided to find out what it was."

"And you found me," Hjoujin finished.

Maria nodded, then continued. "As for your first question, yes, I live alone here. And as for why, well, that is a completely different story. As I said, it is getting late, and you need to have your rest. I shall tell you all that you wish to know about me tomorrow." She gently laid a hand on his knee, and smiled at him. "And then maybe, you'd like to tell me a little more about yourself?"

Hjoujin laughed slightly, even as the shivers coursed through his body. _Her touch…_ He nodded. "Yes, perhaps we should continue this discussion tomorrow." He looked around. He realized that he was lying in the only bed in the house. "But where will you sleep?"

Maria gestured to a mattress laid out in one corner of the hut. "I will sleep there for the night. You are the guest here in my house, and besides, you are injured quite severely. Who is to tell that your wounds will not open up if you lie on the hard floor for the night? Do not worry; I am used to sleeping on the floor."

Hjoujin opened his mouth to argue, but Maria shook her head. "Do not worry so much about me." She blushed, and turned away. "I am not so used to someone worrying about me, or being so concerned about my well-being." She turned to him again, and pressed her hand against his chest. "Now sleep. If you would like, I will sing a lullaby for you to help you relax."

Hjoujin wanted to refuse her offer, but then decided against it. "Alright then." He lay down, and closed his eyes. He had barely done so when he felt himself beginning to slip into the warm, comforting arms of slumber. The only sound that reached him was the sound of Maria's voice, her song a powerful spell to ward off his nightmares.

*      *      *

Maria ended her song as soon as she noticed that Hjoujin was asleep. _This sleep will not only heal his physical wounds, but the wounds of his soul as well._

She gazed at him for the longest while by the low light of the oil lamp, taking in his handsome and noble features. With slightly trembling fingers, she laid her hands on his chest, feeling it rise and fall as he breathed. Little streams of energy flowed through her fingers. _He has the gifts. They are strong, and many. But he does not know about them yet. They were dormant before, but now they are flaring up and alive within him. He must learn of their existence. He must learn to control them._

As these thoughts moved through her head, she noticed a glowing light coming from under the covers. She pulled the blanket back slowly, and realized that the light was coming from a symbol on his right knee. She stared at it, amazed. _What kind of sorcery is this?_

A deep, gentle voice responded to her unspoken question. "I've had that symbol for as long as I can remember. It comes out every once in a while, but I don't remember it being this bright."

Maria felt the blush creeping over her face as she turned to Hjoujin. "I'm sorry if I woke you up."

He shook his head at her, and he smiled. "It's alright."

Maria looked back at him. "How did you know the question in my mind?"

Hjoujin shrugged. "I don't know. I just…knew."

Maria smiled. _Then it won't be too hard to teach him._ "Then it is just as I suspected."

"Excuse me?"

Maria looked at him solemnly. "When I first touched you, I felt this strange burst of energy from your body. That burst of energy can be found only in those blessed to have the gift of magic." She waved her hand, and a little sphere of flame floated in between the two of them. "I am one of the fortunate few to have been blessed with the gift of magic, but it isn't the only one that I possess. I have the capacity to heal any injury with the use of my magical energy, as well as the capacity to read minds and talk to others in their heads." 

"Is that the reason why you live alone?"

Maria frowned, and turned away. "Yes, your assumption is correct. Magic of all forms is feared in the village from whence I came, and they feared me as much as they feared my powers. As a child, they abused and brutally beat me, and they abhorred me as though I was some sort of leper. When I was finally old enough, they cast me out of the town to live here, in this forest, alone." She turned to Hjoujin, and tried to mask her pain with a smile. "You have gifts, Hjoujin. That is how you found out about my thoughts. You carry the gift of telepathy."

"Yes, perhaps I do." He reached out, and gently took her hand. "So that is why you live alone."

Maria moved closer to him. "Would you like to tell me what has happened to you? I don't think that we can keep our stories secret any longer, can we?"

Hjoujin frowned, and lowered his gaze. "A couple of months ago, my fiancée Kouran and I set our wedding date." Maria noticed his face light up for a moment at the memory of his beloved. "I loved her dearly…we'd grown up together along with our good friend Hiko," He smiled. "The three of us were inseparable." His eye closed at that moment, and the smile on his face was wiped away. "About two weeks before the wedding, I walked in on Hiko kissing her." He shook his head. "I don't understand… If she was in love with Hiko, why…?

"At any rate our wedding was called off. On what would have been my wedding day…I confronted Hiko." He winced, and his voice broke. "I didn't mean to kill him! We fought…we were by the river and it was beginning to flood. We were so enraged with one another that we didn't even notice. I punched him, and he slipped in when he tried to block. He never learned how to swim…oh gods, I didn't want him to die… I tried to save him…I had just grasped his hand when a downed tree limb borne by the water struck me on the head," he gestured to his left eye. "And I let go." His voice was softer now, barely a whisper. "I let him die."

Maria gazed at him with pure and unadulterated concern and sympathy for him. With her gifts, she could feel the strong wave of rage and regret that swirled within his soul. She reached out to him, and enfolded him in her arms. "Oh Hjoujin…no, it wasn't your fault…it was an accident…"

"NO!" Hjoujin roared. "I let him die! I let my best friend die!" He pulled away from her. "Look at me, Maria! Look at my face! You should have let me die! I don't deserve to live!" He gasped for breath, and in a voice that was drowned with tears, he added, "I am not worthy of love."

Maria winced when she heard those words. With her own tears flowing from her eyes, she stroked his face, wiping away at the gleaming streaks of moisture. "Hjoujin, Hjoujin…you are worthy of everything that the world has to offer. You are worthy of life, and most certainly of love. Especially…especially the love of a woman, a woman who will cherish and honor you with her whole heart, a woman who can understand your pain and soothe the wounds of your soul."

Hjoujin started, and gazed up at her, his eye wide with wonder and amazement. "Maria…"

Maria blushed at the apparent message of her statement. But it was too late now. She moved closer to him, her hand slipping into his own. "I… We…have been lonely for so long, and we have to reacquaint ourselves with the feeling of being loved. I have lived much too long in isolation, shunning all forms of human companionship, that I thought that I had forgotten completely what it felt like to be loved. That is, until I met you."

The silence that hung in the air between them was deafening. Maria shook her head, and turned towards her pallet in the corner, ready to go to sleep. But then, Hjoujin's hand tightened around her wrist, and she was tugged back onto the bed. She whirled around to meet him, and noted the passion burning brightly in his eye.

His deep voice was soft and husky. "Stay with me tonight, Maria. Please…help me to love again." He leaned closer to her, and kissed her gently, seeking to find a way into the depths of her heart with his love for her.

Maria could not resist him. _This is…truly meant to be. The gods have led us together, prepared us both for this moment. And who am I, who are we, to go against the wishes of the gods? _

Hjoujin blew out the little flame of the oil lamp, and drew Maria down into the bed with him. And the world melted away in the heat of their passion.


	2. Chapter One: When Fiction Becomes Realit...

Chapter One: When Fiction Becomes Reality 

"Hey Riana, I thought that you were going home? Why are you going to the library?"

Riana Reyes turned to her good friend April Genesis Lacson, whom most everyone in their class fondly called Genie or Jenny. "Have you forgotten that we need to do research for our report in English? Sure, we may have all the books we need, but I just want to scrounge up a little more information to be on the safe side."

April smiled, her dark brown eyes twinkling behind her glasses. "Good idea. But, would it be all right if I went downstairs first? Sister Aida needs to give me the schedule of activities for the MSC. I'll look for you when I'm done."

"Okay. I'll be in the reference section if you need me." Riana watched as April went off.

When her friend had disappeared around the corner, Riana proceeded to the school library. She sighed. _Time for some heavy-duty research work. She flashed her library card to the librarian, and then proceeded to the air-conditioned reference section._

Riana sighed as she scanned the shelves of books. If she could have had her way, she would have stayed at home for the day, since her great-grandmother had died only recently. No one could understand why she had been so concerned about her great-grandmother. She didn't care what people thought; her great-grandmother had been the most influential person in her life, and she loved the woman dearly.

Suddenly, she realized that something was wrong. She looked around, and realized that the reference room was empty. _That's strange. Normally this place is crammed with kids sitting on the floor while doing their research work. Okay, so maybe I've seen this place empty, but I'd expected Ana or at least Marie and Pauline to come down here to do research…_

The hairs on the nape of her neck started to stand on end, and she knew that it had nothing to do with the cold air. _Something feels wrong. She glanced from left to right, seeing nothing else but the tall shelves and stacks of books. __But what exactly IS wrong?_

Riana heard a soft thud from the back of the room. She tensed slightly, trying to sense if there was anyone in the room with her. _For all I know, it could be Pauline playing another trick on me. But she could find nothing. _

On silent feet, she walked to the back of the room, to the back shelves. There, she noticed a small, brown little book lying on the floor. _What's this doing here?_ She knelt down on the cold tile, and picked it up. It felt so dry and brittle, like it could crumble in her hands at any moment. _This book feels positively ancient!_

She gazed at the title, which was written in Chinese characters. Luckily, she had studied how to read Chinese, and so she was able to make out the meaning of the characters after a few moments. "Book of the Four Gods Sky and Earth: Guardian of the Stars." _What is this, some kind of legend or something? Filled with curiosity, she opened the book to the first page._

She barely had time to read it when a brilliant flash of red light consumed her completely. She whirled around. "Hey! What the…!" 

The world became black, and she lost consciousness.

*      *      *

April entered the library, absently presenting her library card to the librarian. _Where could Riana be?_ Since the library wasn't really a very big place, she looked out for her friend's familiar face sitting amongst the many tables within the room, but she could find none.

_Oh yes, that's right. She told me that she'd be in the reference section._ April walked over towards the reference section, sliding open the glass doors and closing them behind her as she stepped inside. 

"Riana? Riana, are you here?" No response. _Hmmm, maybe she's so absorbed in her work that she isn't paying attention to me anymore. April methodically walked along the aisles between the shelves, but she couldn't find Riana at all. __Hmph, where did that girl go? Maybe she went home early and forgot all about our deal? She shook her head. __Nah, she couldn't have. Riana doesn't set a date to something and forget about it in a heartbeat._

As she was walking along the back row, she noticed this little book lying on the floor. _Huh? What's this? I haven't seen this here before._ She picked it up, and gazed at the cover. _It's in Chinese?_ "Book of the Four Gods Sky and Earth: Guardian of the Stars." April opened the book to the first page, and was greeted by a delicate line drawing of a girl who looked a lot like… 

Her face paled suddenly, and her mouth fell open slightly. "Is that…Riana?" She shook her head, and closed her eyes tight. _This is just a coincidence. She turned to the writing on the right side, and read it aloud. "This is the story of a young girl who was chosen by Suzako, the God of the South, to be the Guardian of the Stars. Whosoever finishes the book will experience great blessings and graces from the gods, just like the Guardian of the Stars and the Suzako no Miko. This story is an incantation, and the moment the page is turned, all that is written shall become truth, and the threshold shall be opened."_

April shivered as the realization came to her. So my initial hunch was right. Riana IS inside this book, and she has been chosen as the Guardian of the Stars…whatever that is. She looked over her shoulder, making sure that no one was watching her as she slipped the book under her clothes. I guess that I'll just finish this at home. With that, she left the reference section, and exited the library, the little brown book pressed close to her stomach by her school skirt.


	3. Chapter Two: Slave Traders, Prison, and ...

Chapter Two: Slave Traders, Prison, and a Really Weird World 

Riana groaned as she got up from her prone position on the ground. "Ugh… What in the world…?" She closed her eyes, and rubbed her throbbing head. _What just happened?_

She opened her eyes as the realization hit her. _That's right… I was in the reference section of the school library, reading this strange-looking Chinese book, and then there was this light… She looked at her surroundings, and groaned again. __Oh man, you've got to be kidding me! Don't tell me that I got sucked into that book!_

For she was now in a completely different place. She was sitting in a little alley of a very crowded town, the sounds of morning activity all around of her. She turned her gaze upwards, and noticed that the roofs of the buildings were decorated in a Chinese style, and the most predominant color was red. She groaned, and hit her forehead with the heel of her hand. _Oh great, of all the places to end up in, it has to be in China. Ancient China, no less._

However, she was there, and she presumed that there was no way she could get out of that place until she did a little searching. With this thought in mind, Riana stood up, dusted off her clothes, and started to walk towards the end of the alley.

She hadn't gotten far when she heard someone wolf-whistle her from behind. Her temper, which she usually kept pent up beneath her other emotions, was suddenly unleashed in full glory. She whirled around, trying to find the rude little punk.

Her blood ran cold. _Okay, make that…punks._ For right behind her were a group of rough looking men, and one of them was holding what looked like a bottle of strong-smelling alcohol. 

The drunken man staggered towards her, attempting to grab hold of her by her tie, but Riana stepped back to avoid his reaching fingers. "Hey, you look like a particularly pretty specimen. I bet that we would get a lot of money if we sell her to the right people."

Riana let a small smile creep over her features. "You can do whatever you want with me…that is, if you can catch me first!" With that, she turned on her heel, and sprinted away as fast as she could before those hoodlums could collect their wits and chase after her.

She weaved her way through the maze-like alleys and side streets, hoping that this would throw her pursuers off her trail. However, they seemed to know this place better than she did, so she decided to take a risk and head for the main street.

Riana grinned when she saw the wall of people in front of her. _Perfect! I can lose them in that crowd!_ As she drew even closer, she remembered that trying to blend into the crowd would be useless. She grimaced. _I'm wearing a school uniform in BLUE, for crying out loud! They'd be able to pick me out easily!_

But, it was too late for a change of plans. Riana ran right into the crowd, and broke through onto the street on the opposite side. Unfortunately, it seemed that there was a procession at that moment, and there were hundreds of soldiers arranged in ranks, forming a completely solid wall that she couldn't possibly hope to break through. She glanced upwards, hoping to find a way of simply vaulting over them, but all she could see were rows and rows of sharp spear tips. _Shit! No way of getting over THESE guys!_

She looked further down the procession, and noticed a palanquin coming her way. An idea struck her instantly. _That's it! I'll just leap through the palanquin, and I'll be home free! Using what little energy she had left, she ran over to the palanquin, and vaulted into it. However, she had miscalculated the strength necessary to get herself over and out onto the other side, so she landed right in the lap of the person riding in the palanquin._

"Yikes!" She landed with a thud on the palanquin, and the whole thing stopped, the guards swarming around her. Before they were able to knock her out with their blows, however, she caught sight of gleaming golden-amber eyes screened by long brown bangs, and then…the world turned black for the second time.

*      *      *

When Riana regained consciousness, she found herself lying on a cold stone floor. Now that the pain in her head was worse than before, she could do nothing but roll over on the soggy stones and groan.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Riana's eyes flew open when she heard a voice talking to her. Her eyes focused in the dim light, and she saw a young girl with long brown hair in two buns at the top of her head and a young man with bluish-green hair staring down at her. "Who…who are you guys?"

The girl's light hazel eyes gleamed brightly, and she smiled. "I'm Yuki Miaka, but you can just call me Miaka." She turned to the blue-haired man. "And this is Tamahome."

Riana sat up, rubbing her head again. "And I'm Riana. Pleased to meet you guys." She looked around, and realized that she was in a prison cell. "By the way, how did we get here?"

The young man named Tamahome was the one who answered. "When you decided to jump into the Emperor's palanquin, Miaka insisted that we help you. When we went over, we got fingered as conspirators against the Emperor, and we were thrown in jail along with you."

Suddenly, Riana felt so guilty about what had happened to them. She turned away from her two other companions. "Oh dear…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get you involved."

Miaka gently laid a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. You're from the same world as I am, after all, and I thought that you needed help."

Riana glanced at Miaka. "From the same world?" It was only then that she noticed that Miaka was wearing a long-sleeved brown and white school blouse with a short brown pleated skirt. "Oh yeah, you're right." 

"I noticed that you were wearing a school uniform, so I thought that you had come here from the other side." Miaka continued to smile, which made Riana calm down a little bit.

Tamahome leaned against the wall, pulling on knee up slightly. "So, what happened to you? You looked like a demon or something was hot on your heels."

"Well, I was in the school library, planning to do some research, when I noticed this weird book lying on the floor. When I read the title, it said 'Book of the Four Gods Sky and Earth: Guardian of the Stars'. I was so curious that I opened it, and then this big bright light just shone forth and took me. When I woke up, I was…here." She shook her head "I was being chased by some slave traders and a drunkard, and I tried to get away by jumping through the palanquin." Riana grimaced. "Is it just me, or are most of the guys in this world freaking perverts?"

Miaka giggled slightly. "I was thinking along the same line, Riana."

Riana turned to her, a small smile playing on her lips. "Why don't you tell me how YOU got here, Miaka? It might be the same way that I did."

Miaka nodded. "Actually, it WAS the same way. My best friend Yui and I found this book in the National Library, and when we opened it, it took the both of us. Slave traders also attacked us, but Tamahome saved us both. I thought that it was going to be okay, but then Yui disappeared, and I haven't had contact with her since. I wandered through this place called Konan, and slave traders attacked me again. Fortunately, Tamahome came to my rescue. I convinced him to help me look for Yui, but then we noticed you running, and we decided to help you."

Riana glanced at him, and smiled. "Thanks for trying to save me. But when you did that, you got into trouble yourselves. I'm sorry for dragging you into this." She was silent for a while, and then she grinned. "Hey, I have an idea. How about I help you guys break out of here. I mean, it can help, right? This is to repay you for what you tried to do for me earlier."

Tamahome looked up at her. "You would do that for us?"

Riana nodded. "Of course!"

"Then come with us, Riana," Miaka said. "You'd be safe with us once we get out of the palace."

Riana turned the thought over in her mind. _Should I go with them? A bright smile spread out on her face, and she nodded. "Okay, it's all set then. Now all we have to do is get out of here. Just play along, and we'll get out."_

While Miaka and Tamahome watched her, Riana walked over to the bars, and doubled over, clutching her stomach. "Ooh! My stomach! It…it hurts so badly… Someone…please help me…!"

While Tamahome looked on, bewildered by what was going on, Miaka stepped over to Riana, and asked, "Riana, Riana, are you alright?!" She turned to the guards. "Hey, you! Please help my friend! She's not feeling too well."

The guard approached the two girls. "What's going on here?"

Miaka gazed up at the guard with her sweetest, most innocent expression. "Please sir, please help my friend…"

"Oohh… Miaka…it's too painful…"

The guard eyed them momentarily, but then, he reached for the ring of keys attached to his belt. He picked out one of the keys, and inserted into the lock of the cell. He stepped inside, and knelt down in front of Riana. "Alright, what's the matter with her?"

Riana glanced up at him, and her eyes flashed temporarily. In seconds, the guard was knocked down to the ground, unconscious, and Riana was standing over him, slapping her hands together to indicate a job well done.

Miaka stared at her with awe. "Wow. How did you do that?"

Riana turned to her, and winked. "Oh, just a little trick I learned from my cousins. They've taught me a lot of things." She peered around the corners, checking if anyone was around. "Okay, the coast is clear. Come on, let's get out of here before they find out what's happened to their companion."

*      *      *

Tamahome raced through the palace corridors, Riana right beside him, and Miaka a little ways behind. He took a sideways glance at Riana, and smiled at her. _I'm impressed. She can actually keep up with me. _

"How much farther to the exit Tamahome?" Riana panted as they rounded a corner.

"I don't know, but I guess that it can't be that far from here anymore," Tamahome answered. They continued down the hall, but then, a troupe of guards appeared from the other end.

"Yikes!" Tamahome, Riana and Miaka ground to a halt just before they collided into the soldiers. Tamahome stood his ground, and told the girls, "You two better get out of here now! I'll hold these guys back for as long as I can manage!"

Miaka stepped forward. "But Tamahome…"

He glanced over his shoulder. "I'll be okay! I'll just catch up to you two later." He turned to Riana. "Riana, please take care of Miaka. And watch out for yourselves!"

Riana nodded in acknowledgement before sprinting off, dragging Miaka with her.

*      *      *

Riana tightened her grip on Miaka as the other girl struggled against her hold. "Let me go Riana! We have to help Tamahome!"

Unable to handle the other girl for much longer, Riana spun around, and faced Miaka, ready to give her a piece of her mind. "Look Miaka, Tamahome told us to go on ahead, and that he'd follow us after he was through with his business. I trust him, so I believe with my whole heart that he'll catch up to us somehow. And besides, he put his own life at risk just to help us get away. If I were you, I wouldn't waste his efforts by going back and risking getting myself caught."

Miaka couldn't argue back out of sheer shock. She merely stood there, gazing with stunned eyes at Riana.

Riana smiled slightly, glad that her words had produced the desired effect. "Now come on, we don't have a lot of time to waste, you know." She grabbed Miaka's wrist, and pulled her towards the other end of the palace.

Riana winced. _Why does this place have to be so damn big?!_ She turned left at the corner, and came face-to-chest with a soldier dressed in red, yellow, and orange armor. _Cripes! She jumped back slightly, pushing Miaka away at the same time. "Run Miaka! Run away from here!"_

"But Riana…!" 

"Just go!" Riana shoved the brown-haired girl harder, almost making her fall. "Run! I'll be able to handle these guys myself!"

Miaka stayed a few moments, hesitating, but eventually, she turned, and ran away from the fight.

Riana smiled satisfactorily. _That's much better. Now you'll be safe. However, Riana found herself in a bad predicament that she couldn't find a way out of. __Why did I have to play the hero? Stupid, so stupid of me… And, for the third time, she blacked out._


End file.
